Road tougher this time around, but Huss back in Western Regionals

Published: Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 11:31 AM.

GASTONIA – You hear Hunter Huss High’s boys basketball team is back in the Western N.C. Regionals and you’re not surprised.

But while the Huskies are in the regionals for the 10th time in history and third time in four years, this year’s advance was perhaps the school’s most challenging – and gratifying.

“Everybody assumed we were going last year and the last few times we’ve been,” Huskies coach Walt Wallace said. “This year, we’ve really had to scrap, claw and get better just to get this far.

“But it has been a fun ride.”

That rollercoaster journey began right after standout senior guard Kerrion Moore and his teammates advanced to the third round of the N.C. 2AA football playoffs.

After four straight wins to open the season, Huss lost 55-53 to Nation Ford, S.C.

Three more wins followed before the only two-game losing streak of the season in the Cleveland County Holiday Classic at Kings Mountain – 91-56 to Shelby in the semifinals and 72-65 to Ashbrook in the third-place game.

But Huss would win 13 of the next 14 games – losing only at Forestview 64-62 – before losing to Ashbrook 88-67 in the Big South 2A/3A Conference tournament title game.

Once in the playoffs as the No. 5 seed of 32 teams in the West, Huss rolled to three wins to get back to the regionals – 93-50 over North Surry and 91-74 over Lexington at home before last Friday’s 92-83 victory at Newton-Conover.

Huss had advanced with wins on its homecourt in its previous three regional appearances before Friday marked the Huskies’ first road victory in a regional play-in game since 1990.

“I was always thinking we could go to the regionals again,” said Moore, whose career-high 36 points led last Friday’s win. “But we have come a long way since the first of the season. But we still have more ahead of us.”

GASTONIA – You hear Hunter Huss High’s boys basketball team is back in the Western N.C. Regionals and you’re not surprised.

But while the Huskies are in the regionals for the 10th time in history and third time in four years, this year’s advance was perhaps the school’s most challenging – and gratifying.

“Everybody assumed we were going last year and the last few times we’ve been,” Huskies coach Walt Wallace said. “This year, we’ve really had to scrap, claw and get better just to get this far.

“But it has been a fun ride.”

That rollercoaster journey began right after standout senior guard Kerrion Moore and his teammates advanced to the third round of the N.C. 2AA football playoffs.

After four straight wins to open the season, Huss lost 55-53 to Nation Ford, S.C.

Three more wins followed before the only two-game losing streak of the season in the Cleveland County Holiday Classic at Kings Mountain – 91-56 to Shelby in the semifinals and 72-65 to Ashbrook in the third-place game.

But Huss would win 13 of the next 14 games – losing only at Forestview 64-62 – before losing to Ashbrook 88-67 in the Big South 2A/3A Conference tournament title game.

Once in the playoffs as the No. 5 seed of 32 teams in the West, Huss rolled to three wins to get back to the regionals – 93-50 over North Surry and 91-74 over Lexington at home before last Friday’s 92-83 victory at Newton-Conover.

Huss had advanced with wins on its homecourt in its previous three regional appearances before Friday marked the Huskies’ first road victory in a regional play-in game since 1990.

“I was always thinking we could go to the regionals again,” said Moore, whose career-high 36 points led last Friday’s win. “But we have come a long way since the first of the season. But we still have more ahead of us.”